Doctor of Late 3 Doors Down Guitarist Matt Roberts Set to Go On Trial

Dr. Richard Snellgrove, the doctor who prescribed 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts fentanyl and other prescriptions, is set to go on trial this Friday (May 11) in Mobile, Ala.

According to the Sun Herald, Snellgrove has been charged with 13 counts of writing fentanyl and other prescriptions for the musician that were not medically necessary and could have contributed to the musician's death. Roberts passed away in August 2016 from a drug overdose. The musician was found dead in a hotel room in West Bend, Wis., where he was scheduled to play at a charity event.

Should prosecutors be able to prove that fentanyl killed the musician, the sentence on that count is a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, while if found guilty of the other counts the doctor could conceivably be sentenced to life behind bars.

According to the paper, prosecutors say they have texts between Roberts and Snellgrove about Prince's death (fentanyl was also a cause in Prince's death) that they intend to use as evidence.

“During this exchange, Roberts stated that he understood Dr. Snellgrove needed to drop 'things down,'" said a motion filed in the case by Richard W. Moore, U.S. Attorney for Alabama's Southern District. "Prior to this text message exchange, Dr. Snellgrove prescribed fentanyl to Roberts, both directly and indirectly, during the months of March and April 2016. Following this text message exchange, Dr. Snellgrove did not prescribe fentanyl again to Roberts until July 12, 2016." The prescriptions stopped after Prince's death but resumed in July, prosecutors say, when Snellgrove prescribed a month's supply of fentanyl.

The guitarist was reportedly wearing a fentanyl patch at the time of his death, while the autopsy also found hydrocodone and alprazolam in his system, two more medications prescribed by Snellgrove.